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I spent my holiday break out in Dallas with family and friends. The day after Christmas, a good friend of mine suggested brunch at Public School 214. I rounded up a group of friends to check the place out, and I was not disappointed.

Composition Notebook Menu – Public School 214 #Brunchaholics

Brunch Menu Scantron – Public School 214 #Brunchaholics

Public School 214 holds true to their name as the entire bar is somewhat school-themed. Globes are everywhere and the menu makes references to detention (aka happy hour) and school subjects. The menu is a composition notebook and the brunch menu is a scantron. Gotta love the creativity. I loved the atmosphere and everyone I was with enjoyed themselves too.

The Delectables

The food was AMAZING, A1, delicious, magnificent, decadent, whatever adjective you want to use, it applies here. I ordered the Jidori chicken and green chili cornbread waffles. Now I usually don’t order chicken and waffles because it’s so cliche, but they offered something I had never heard before so I took a step on the wild side. This was probably the best version of chicken and waffles I have ever had. The chicken was fried perfectly — crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the middle. The waffle was great, not overly cooked like most places, and it was served with a gravy-type syrup that I can only explain to be “greatness”.

As I said before, I was with a few friends. They ordered the chicken sausage and grits, eggs Benedict pizza, and stuffed french toast (which was stuff with creamed Oreos 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾) . One of my friends who didn’t want brunch opted for the pizza with house-made pepperoni. The pizza at this place is no joke (better than most pizzerias and I’m a HUGE pizza lover). So if you’re not feeling the brunch menu, the pizza is definitely worth it.
But let’s stick to the program here.

Pepperoni Pizza W/House Made Pepperonis – Public School 214 #BrunchaholicsEggs Benedict Pizza – Public School 214 #BrunchaholicsChicken Sausage and Cheddar Grits – Public School 214 #Brunchaholics

Mimosas

Public School 214 offers bottomless mimosas for $10. Even better than most places, besides Cyclones, they have 4 options of bottomless mimosas to choose from (Mimosas, beermosas, etc.).

Service

The service was great, probably some of the best service I have ever had. They were prompt and personable. My favorite characteristic of a good brunch is how fast they refill the drinks. They were definitely not slacking in that area. We never had to ask for a refill because they were already on top of it.

Final Thoughts

A place this good may have me move out to Dallas. Houston, you have some competition! Better step it up!
Public School 214 gets a 5 out of 5 from me. Pure Heaven at a lunch room table.

Let me start off by saying that Royal Oak Bar and Grill is an amazing place to catch sporting events, especially if you sit out on the back patio. It’s like a personal viewing party because they have huge TVs. The atmosphere is really laid back yet fun at the same time. It’s a good place to strike up random conversation and meet some cool folks. I did some great networking there.

BUT, now that the political fluff statement is done. Let’s get to the real: (See Below)

TRASHHHHH

Fail #1

As you can see from my initial paragraph, this place has the potential to be amazing but failed due to some short-comings in some key areas. First off, the mimosas I heard about which got me into the building in the first place turned out to be very disappointing. As a Brunchaholic, when you hear $8 mimosa pitchers, your eyes light up like Times Square at New Year’s. Sadly, those pitchers were WEAKKKKKK. So weak in fact, that I had to ask the waitress to make them stronger after the first two. (Yes, I had two pitchers first lol. I split them, but still.) You can usually feel a good mimosa after a few glasses, but the only results were that my stomach was full and my sobriety was still intact.

Fail #2

Their brunch menu isnt very expansive but has enough variety to please just about everyone. Unless you REALLLLY want breakfast food, you shouldn’t be disappointed. I ordered the Cali skillet which consists of scrambled eggs, grilled chicken, avocado, house salsa, and hash browns topped with melted cheese served with an english muffin. The ambition of this dish was greater than the execution. The skillet came to the table looking pretty good, but the flavor was nonexistent. I basically drowned the skillet with the table assisted Cholula (shoutout to the table for being game ready). In addition to the lack of flavor, the eggs were overcooked. They were scrambled yet crispy. I don’t even know how that happens. But you can see the heat lamp/ salamander abuse in the pic below. (Come on fam. Gots to do better.)

Fail #3

To add to the above fails, the service was as close to complete as Donald Trump’s comb over — in other words, it wasn’t. To be fair, I was a waiter in high school for about 3 and half years, so I understand things can happen and you can get sidetracked or caught up with a specific situation. Those types of situations are fine, but 20 to 30-minute waits in between seeing your waiter/waitress when your place of business is no where near full is unacceptable, especially when we just sat down. I waited 15 minutes before I was even spoken to. (Patience is a virtue. It’s almost like when you’re texting your crush and their reply is taking forever but you see they’re on Facebook, Twitter and IG posting pics and replying to comments. Meanwhile you’re just sitting there looking at your phone like a forgotten puppy with an empty bowl.)

All in all Royal Oaks wasn’t THAT bad, but I have to be honest about what matters most to me when evaluating a brunch. If you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place and have a few options, don’t go here. Royal Oak if you read this and want some consulting work, I got you.
With that being said, Royal Oak Bar & Grill receives a 2 out of 5. It would have been a 1 but after requesting stronger mimosas they stepped it up to a respectable level. Unfortunately for them, the service and food was not enough to make up for it. Service should always be great and consistent, not just an option when you complain.

From the bottom of my heart I apologize for such a huge time inbetween posts. Life has taken me through some ups and downs in recent months, but it’s safe to say I’m back and ready to give you brunch inception lol.

The place you need to check out next is Cook & Collins located in the heart of Midtown in Houston, TX.

First, let’s talk about location. Cook & Collins is located in the heart of Midtown by all of the bars. You may have heard about Gas Lamp recently in the news, but Cook & Collins isn’t on that BS so no worries. Plus, it’s more of a restaurant than a bar and club. It’s m0re 0f a respectable place with a nice intimate setting where you could definitely bring a date.

Now, on to the greatness this place is known for: the food.

Cook & Collins’ menu is lovely.(http://cookandcollins.com/menu/index.php)
It’s creative, eccentric, and daring. If you are a true foodie like me, you will salivate at the amazing options this place has to offer. I have eaten here quite a few times but ironically, I always seem to get the same thing.

Why you ask?

Well, let’s just say what I get is fucking amazing and I have to get off of the tit before I can try anything else.
The illustrious item that I am speaking of is the “Smothered Brazos Burrito” : slow braised beef, scrambled cage-free eggs, potato, BEP relish, two salsas, smokey queso, and crema. As you can see in the photos below, it’s a very simple yet beautiful dish. In my opinion the smoky queso and the braised beef make the burrito, but all of the components work together nicely. Don’t let the size of the burrito or lack of sides discourage you; its worth it, believe me.

The next time I attend Cook and Collins I will be trying the “Fat Elvis Pancakes”. I’m not much of a sweets guy which I why I usually stick to the burrito, but for you guys I’d try it out. Plus the description really makes it sound good, so hey… why not?

Oh, mimosa, mimosa, mimosa…sadly, as great as the food is here, the mimosas are lacking. The majority of the beverage was orange juice with just a little fizz, not the fast rising multiple bubbles true mimosas are made of.
I haven’t gotten the nerve up to start trying Bloody Mary’s yet, but my friend in attendance tells me they were some of the best they’d ever tried. This particular friend loves Bloody Mary’s so I’ll take that to the bank.

All in all, Cook & Collins has the atmosphere, food, and selection of a high-class establishment, yet it doesn’t feel snobby while you are eating there. Despite the disappointment of the mimosas, I would highly recommend checking this place out and exploring the menu. I will report back with the Fat Elvis Pancakes review in due time. Until then, Cook & Collins gets a 3.5/5

51fifteen was an amazing brunch experience. The service is A1, and they even have a jazz band that comes in to really set the mood. Brunch starts at 11AM and goes all the way to 4PM. Luckily for me, it’s Houston Restaurant Weeks, so all of Houston is bringing out their absolute best. Below is a picture of the brunch menu for Houston Restaurant Weeks: 3 courses of divine food for only $25. Can’t beat that!

The Pre-MealSince it’s brunch, instead of serving typical bread for the table, there were blueberry muffins and mini biscuits with a star every butter. The muffin itself was moist and delicate with a fresh blueberry taste. Combine that with the strawberry heaven and you’re in butter. I’m not usually one for sweets, but I could have eaten that all day.

The Mimosa
51fifteen has bottomless mimosas for $12. Now, if you remember my older post about Cyclones, you’ll recall that they offer them as well for only $10.50. However, I definitely prefer 51fifteen’s instead; they are fresher with better quality champagne. I didn’t need too many of these to start feeling good, and it helped that the bartender never let my glass get empty.

First Course: Shrimp Pot Pie
The shrimp pot pie was a game changer for me. I love seafood, so as soon as I saw that on the menu I went for it. This wasn’t your typical pot pie. It could have used more veggies and a little more sauce, but the sauce was very tasty…a very good consistency. The shrimp was cooked perfectly– juicy and sizable, although I did wish there would have been more, but I was satisfied either way. The crust was crisp and buttery, but unfortunately a tad too thick for my liking.

Second Course: NY Strip Steak & Eggs
Now this was the Mecca of the meal. The fingerling potatoes were great and a nice side to the steak and eggs. However, the mini salad in the middle could have stayed in the kitchen. I didn’t feel like it added much to the dish. It looked nice as a presentation, but that’s about it. I ordered my eggs soft scrambled with a bit of cheese. They were creamy and seasoned perfectly. (If you’ve never had soft scrambled eggs, you’re missing out!)
The greatest part of the dish, the steak, was amazing! I ordered mine medium and it came with a Béarnaise sauce that I will absolutely practice all week trying to duplicate at home. The steak was so tender that I could have cut it with plastic utensils. [On a side note: let’s all grow up here and stop getting well-done steaks. It’s childish and you’re missing out on a lot of flavor and juiciness. There’s an appreciation for the cut of steak you’re eating and the effort put into aging it. Let’s appreciate it and stick to medium and medium rare steaks. Believe me, it’s worth it!]

Third Course: Domino Valley Cake
As I stated earlier, I’m not one for sweets. The cake was nice and had a good flavor but was packed with a lot of chocolate. Personally, I almost felt overwhelmed with the abundance of chocolate. I was looking for the vanilla ice cream to act as a saving grace of sorts, but it turned out to be nothing more than ice. The fresh fruit did provide a better take on the dessert, but the star of the show (the cake) didn’t shine in my opinion. (I should have chosen the Butterfinger Trife instead. I’ll just get that next time.)

Overall, this is probably one of the top 3 brunches I’ve ever been to (the other 2 being located in Cali. I will have write ups on them soon). The high quality of food, outstanding service, and fresh mimosas leads me to give this place a 4 out of 5.

Last week I took my brunch adventure to Cyclone Anaya’s in Midtown. It’s a very nice place, but I feel the quality of food does not match the decor. I ordered an omelette that came with rice and beans and a side of fruit. The omelette was pretty good, just slightly overcooked. I wish the omelette had been a little hotter. I could tell it probably sat under the heat lamp for a little while, but the omelette was still decent.

Omelette and Bottomless Mimosas

The kicker for this place is their deal on the almighty mimosas! They have an “all you can drink” mimosa deal from 11-3(which is how long their brunch runs on weekends) You pay $10.50 for plus a penny refill for mimosas and poinsettias. That’s right… ONE CENT REFILLS! So you can basically drink till your heart is happy (or stomach full). So basically they offer bottomless mimosas for $10.50. The mimosas themselves were served out of a pitcher since I sat at the bar. If they were freshly made, they would have been much better, yet they still did the job. The mimosas combined with the food help to give Cyclones a 4 out of 5. So if you’re looking for some okay food and slight turn up, this is the place. I highly recommend for a Sunday Funday.

Sidenote: Those mimosas are sleepers. Be Ready…

If you’re reading this and you’re not into brunch I would suggest going to

For those who want a little more information on the restaurant itself, here is an excerpt directly from the site on the history and origin.

Brunch is defined as a combination of breakfast and lunch eaten usually during the late morning but it can extend to as late as 3 pm. Brunch originated in the 1800’s in Great Britain.Originally served in a buffet style set up.Brunch has transformed to more of a sit down experience but there are still a lot of brunch buffets out there.

The word “Brunch” was first used in a Hunters Weekly publication in 1895 by Guy Beringer. His post titled, “Brunch, A Plea” centers on the benefits of brunch back in the days of mandatory Sunday Breakfast. It was made so people could stay out longer on Saturday nights to drink and party and still be able to wake up late morning/early afternoon and get a good meal.IT took the stress off of waking up early on Sundays.

Now in today’s time.Brunch is more than just a convenience with places like IHOP and Denny’s serving breakfast 24/7. Brunch is a way of life. Especially if you are a Brunchaholic like myself. Brunch involves more than your typical hotcakes and sausage. It’s a sophisticated yet laid back meal that is equally delicious as it is unique if you’re brunching at the right place. The mimosas and bloody mary’s just take it to a completely different level. From carafes to pitchers to the glass. Brunch has evolved into a Sunday Funday must do and an early Saturday turn up. Join the movement and keep an open mind.

They drier the champagne, the better. If making them at home and on a budget, use a Brut or anything Dry/Extra Dry. If you have a little extra to spend, then any top shelf champagne/bubbly/etc will do. My personal favorite is Veuve Clicquot. Mimosas can also be made with grapefruit juice. Half juice and half champagne is the usual mix. Less juice and more champagne of course if you’re not trying to waste your time lol.

I am not personally a big fan of Bloody Mary’s, but they are very popular and classic. Some people like theirs straight up and some like there’s spicy. Use your own personal judgement, of course, to find which works for you.

As you can see champagne is basically the main ingredient in the majority of these drinks. If you are not a big drinker, no one will frown over a water or a soda. If you want the “virgin” version of a drink, just order any of the above with sparkling water.

Also, a lot of places that offer brunch will have their own special brunch drinks. So be on the lookout for those.